Lentil walnut vegan taco meat is a soy-free, gluten-free, plant-based filling with no added oil, easily made in the Instant Pot or stovetop.
This recipe is perfect for mango pico de Gallo, spicy Mexican escabeche, cashew sour cream, or filling with homemade corn tortillas.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy cooking and simple ingredients, including lentils, walnuts, basmati rice, tomato paste, and our signature taco seasoning.
- Made with whole food ingredients at home with less expense or additives than processed, commercial vegan meat products.
- A simple vegan taco filling for taco shells that can be adapted to burrito bowls or serve as the base for your favorite taco recipes.
Ingredients, Notes, and Substitutions
French lentils. French or Puy lentils retain their shape after cooking. You can also use green or brown lentils, black (beluga), or mung beans in the same amounts. Red lentils aren’t as sturdy and will have a creamier texture that might work for burritos but not taco stuffing.
Walnuts. This recipe grabs the texture of walnut taco meat with just ⅓ of a cup of walnuts for healthy fats in moderation. Use raw, unsalted walnuts for this purpose.
Brown basmati rice. The flavor of basmati is slightly nutty and savory. It cooks perfectly in the time it takes to cook the lentils, making it easy to manage. I’ve not tested this recipe with other kinds of brown rice.
Taco seasoning. This recipe includes a homemade taco seasoning we make in batches as a meal prep for various vegan recipes. It measures to about 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Use any chili powder you like, or whip up our special homemade chili powder blend.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Add the lentils, walnuts, rice, and tomato paste to the Instant Pot.
Step 2: Stir in the seasonings.
Step 3: Mix the vegetable broth in Instant Pot. Stir well.
Step 4: Set the Instant Pot on high pressure for 16 minutes. After the Instant Pot beeps, let the steam naturally release for 16 minutes.
Stovetop directions: Add all the ingredients to a large skillet with a lid or Dutch oven. Increase the vegetable broth to 2 ½ cups. Mix all the ingredients. Cover the pot and bring the ingredients to boiling over medium heat. Then lower the heat to simmering. Cook for 30 -35 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
Serving Suggestions
Versatile vegan taco meat certainly makes the best lentil tacos ever. Wrapped in potato tortillas with guasacaca sauce, it's a festive burrito we can't get enough of.
Beyond tacos, you can treat this recipe like a Mexican-style vegan ground beef for nachos, enchiladas, or layered taco salad.
Storage / Freezing / Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This is also the perfect filling for freezing. Use freezer containers or freezer bags and thaw them in the refrigerator for the best vegan taco meat anytime.
The best way to reheat is with a steamer basket over boiling water. This ensures that the rice reaches a safe heat. You can also place leftovers in a pan or skillet over medium heat and add a little broth or water. Stir as it heats so that the rice doesn’t stick.
Frequently Asked Questions
A taco seasoning packet is a quick option if you don't have all the ingredients to make taco seasoning from scratch. Be sure to check the ingredients. You may want to use salt-free vegetable broth when making this recipe if the seasoning mix contains a lot of salt.
For a nut-free alternative, use sunflower or pumpkin seeds. You could add 2 tablespoons of whole flax or chia seeds to add texture and nutrition.
Yes. Be sure to soak the beans first if you use black beans rather than lentils. This ensures they will be fully cooked in the Instant Pot when the rice is done. Use ¾ a cup of beans as they increase more than lentils when cooked.
Because the cooking time for white basmati is much shorter than for brown, it is not recommended when cooking it with lentils in the Instant Pot. White rice may get overcooked, causing the result to be mushy. Brown rice is highly nutritious and has a great texture for taco meat, so we recommend it.
We purposely keep the primary ingredients simple for this foundation recipe, but you can always start with chopped onion or a few chipotle peppers. For a deeper flavor, consider adding adobo sauce, soy sauce, or a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. You can also freshen it up with a squeeze of lime juice.
More Vegan Taco Recipes
Do you have a question or recipe request or need a cooking tip? Leave a comment below or contact Denise. I’m here to help! If you want more healthy vegan recipes, please subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on Facebook or Pinterest for the latest updates.
If you make this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It’s much appreciated!
👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Lentil Walnut Vegan Taco Meat
Rate this Recipe:
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup walnuts - chopped
- 1 cup French lentils - (Puy lentils)
- 1 cup brown basmati rice - or another brown rice
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ - 1 teaspoon crushed chili flakes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
- How to Make Vegan Taco Meat in the Instant Pot
- Add the walnuts, lentils, rice, tomato paste, taco seasoning, and vegetable broth to the Instant Pot.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and move the steam handle to the Sealing position. Cook the lentils on High Pressure for 16 minutes. Turn off the warming button.
- When the beeper goes off, leave the Instant Pot for 16 minutes to naturally release the steam (NPR). Once the time is up, carefully open the steam handle. When the silver steam valve sinks down, carefully open the lid.
- Stir and serve. Gently stir to fluff up the rice. You’re ready to stuff tacos.
- How to Make Vegan Taco Meat on the Stovetop
- Add all the ingredients to a large skillet with a lid or Dutch oven. Increase the vegetable broth to 2 ½ cups. Mix all the ingredients.
- Cover the pot and bring the ingredients to boiling over medium heat. Then lower the heat to simmering. Cook for 30 -35 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
- Turn off the heat and fluff up the taco meat before serving.
Notes
- This recipe works best with lentils that hold their shape after cooking. If you want a substitute for French lentils, consider green, brown, black lentils or mung beans. If you use black beans instead, be sure to soak them first.
- This recipe is made using brown basmati or brown rice. The time required for the lentils will overcook white rice. This can impact the texture.
- If you want to skip the walnuts, 2 tablespoons of sunflower or pumpkin seeds will give you a bit of crunch.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
susan souza
what is PUY lentils
Denise
Puy lentils are another name for French lentils.
Emily
It only says 1 French PUY lentils. I'm assuming that means 1 cup?
Denise
It's 1 cup - the recipe card is fixed now. Thanks for the head's up. 🙂
Debra
Going to try this tomorrow! Just wondering why you make the taco seasoning first if you just add it all to the instant pot. Thanks!
Denise
Hi, I recommend mixing all the seasonings first because it helps to evenly distribute the spices. If you toss it all in the Instant Pot first, just be sure you mix it really well. Cheers 🙂